Sam and Matt in costume

Going to Nic's spiritual group

I started going to Nic's spiritual teaching group in 2013 and kept going for several years. He introduced me to David Hawkins and the map of consciousness which has had a profound effect on my world view.  Nic's teachings were truly transformational. I feel deeply thankful for his presence in my life. He arrived at a time when I most needed his wisdom and his teaching were utterly perfect for what I needed to progress on my spiritual journey.

Some of the many key insights I gained from Nic

All is well 

• All is perfect including who I am being right now
• Love what is. All of it.  
• I am exactly where I'm meant to be, experiencing what I'm meant to be experiencing in order to learn what I'm here to learn. 
• Divine consciousness brought me to this exact moment. I embrace it as it is.
• Trust that everything is for your learning and evolution of consciousness.  
• You're perfect as you are. Who says a gnarled tree in nature isn't perfect?  As it's supposed to be?
• Everything that happens is for the ultimate good of all involved. 
• When a decisions arises with options 1 or 2, neither is preferable. Both are perfect. One may bring greater suffering, but also great lessons.

Absolute verse relative truth

• Absolute Truth is a state of Being. It is the experience of the Presence of God. It is the felt realisation of my Oneness with Being. 
• Relative truth differs according to my level of consciousness. 

  

The ego is not an enemy to fight or resist

• Don't fight the ego for you strengthen what you fight.  
• The ego is something to be healed and seen through, not destroyed. The snake that caused so much angst, when truly seen, is recognised to be but a harmless piece of rope.
• We are here to raise our consciousness and learn lessons.  We have the perfect ego to learn the lessons we are here to learn.  
• I have the perfect mind and ego for me to be where I'm at and to learn what I am here to learn. No level of consciousness is essentially better than another. 
• Create a spiritual ego (good, moral, pure, righteous) that fights with the ego (evil, bad, sinful) and the battle that ensues will leave no space at all for consciousness. 
• The ego is an information processor; a survival tool, that we're evolving beyond.
• Think of the ego as a pet dog. Not something to hate. Smile at its antics and wonder how you've been taken in by it for so long. But also, do not let it ride rampant.

Transcending the need for approval and the fear of disapproval

• Approval is a projection of the approver's story and conditioning.
• Impressing others is pointless for I'll never know if it's genuine or not. And it can be taken away at any time for the least and most irrational reason. My self-approval is what matters.   
• Don't take anything personally. When people judge me, it has nothing much to do with me. It's their projection.  Their story. 
• Let go of being attached to praise.  Let go of the need to be enough.  
• When you stop needing to be worthy, your inherent worth reveals itself.  

Transcending guilt and shame

• Guilt plays a momentary purpose. Harness it in order to feel sorry and intend to do differently next time. Then let go of all guilt and shame.  They vibrate at a very low level of consciousness and do not serve the world if hung onto.
• I'm exactly where I'm meant to be in the evolution of my consciousness. I always do the best I can at the level of consciousness I'm at at any particular moment.  
• Spiritual work is hard enough without beating myself up.   
• Where I am right now is perfect. Consciousness brought me to this point. 
• I do the best I can with where I am at. I am not perfect. I'm human. My humanness is inherited. Perfection is a lie.
• I am a work in progress. We all are. 
• The brain changes at 200. Below 200, there is no choice, only ignorance.
• My level of consciousness is different for different parts of my life.  

Transcending the need to judge others (and myself)

• Judgement gives me a very narrow and partial view of a life and a person.  
• When I think "This person should be... " what I mean is  "I want him to be ..."  
• Let go of desire for him / her to be any way other than what she is. He / she is perfect as he / she is. 
• A person is just being who they meant to be right now.  
• Socrates. "Every man does what he perceives as the greatest good."
• One level of consciousness is not better than another. All levels of experience lead to experience and learning.
• All resistance and judgement has a secret pay-off for the ego.
• In truth, there is never anything to forgive. People are as they are meant to be at any moment.  Be compassionate and loving instead.
• If you want to stop judging, say "Bring  it on!  Give me more judgement." Observe the feelings that arise and let them go.   

Transcending "sin" by avoiding it

• Sin is that which weakens me.  Sin is that which vibrates at low levels of consciousness. Don't fight it.  

 

Transcending thought by allowing it but not identifying with it

• Ego is identification with the radio of the mind.  
• I'm not my thoughts.  Thoughts aren't even of the ego.  Ego doesn't create thoughts. But it reacts to them, believes in them, takes ownership of them.  
• Thoughts are not created by the mind. The mind is an antenna tuning in at a certain level of consciousness. Fear leads to worrying thoughts. Listen to the radio and the thoughts get louder.
• I don't need to ever feel guilty or bad about the thoughts I have. Thoughts are generated before I'm even conscious of them.  

Transcending emotional pain by really feeling it and thereby letting it go

• All emotions, no matter how unpleasant they may feel at first, are merely  physical sensations. Let go of thought and feel (observe) the emotion as a pure sensation. 
• Bring attention to the body and the emotions generating and empowering the distressing thought.  
• Where do I feel it? How does it feel? What is its colour?  Watch it change.  
• The pain I am releasing is built up from the repressed pain of this life and other lives.  It may also be part of collective human pain that is part of my role to release for the benefit of The All.  
• Get in touch with the emotion (unblocked by thought) rather than intellectually think it through (e.g. worry)  Thought blocks and amplifies emotions.  
• When I release what seems like bottomless pain, there will be an end eventually.  I am releasing 42 years of repressed pain.  (This proved to be absolutely correct!)
• The pain of loss opens the awareness that what I truly am cannot be diminished.    
• All the pain of losing Dani helped me realise who I really am. What I did is exactly what I needed and she needed at that time.  (Life ended up great for her with a doting husband and beautiful child. And for me too.)
• When thought ceases (like on recent walks), emotions flow beautifully.  
• I can try to rationalise and reflect till I am blue in face - if the emotions below is strong and unfelt, it will be a constant battle.  

Spiritual evolution is a journey of surrender and letting go 

• A spiritual life will always have challenges. Once I've unblocked one thing, another thing will likely emerge to be healed. The spiritual path is not about constant peace.  
• Think of your future enlightened self pulling you to enlightenment.

Transcending fear ...

• Ask "What is the fear? What's the problem."  Get to the deepest possible emotion by asking "So what?" over and over.
• Fear is ignorance and illusion. Truth is that which brings peace (a higher state of being).

... including the fear of death...

• Death is not to be feared. There is scientific evidence of past lives. Hypnosis has been used to remember past things that can then be verified.  
• People who've come back say there is no judgement at death except some temporary self-judgement. Veils are lifted. 

...and the fear of hell 

• Eternity is not forever. It is the timeless Now. All experience exists in time and passes.  Hell is a state of contracted consciousness (suffering) that passes.
• Hell is not a punishment. It is a choice. 
• Karma is not about punishment or judgement.  It is simply the impartial and impersonal law of consequences.

 

The power of intention

• Use intentions as your compass. They are all you can truly control.
• The energy of the intention behind an action will determine its outcome.
• The only free will you have is to set your intention. In that way, you start to change the field.  
• Set the intention and watch. That's all you can do. 
• Always ask yourself what state (level of consciousness) your intention is coming from.
• Will and intention doesn't come from ego, but from the grace of Consciousness. 
• Where on the map do I choose to be and act from?  
• No level on the map of consciousness is inherently right or wrong. But do look and reflect onthe emotions you'll experience at that level. And the level of love & peace - or suffering.

The power of spiritual will (versus will power)

• Spiritual will comes from a high level of consciousness and is impersonal. It is a form of Power inherent in Consciousness. Will power, on the other hand, is personal. It is a forcing, trying and grasping. Power is infinitely more powerful than force. Force (including will power) is finite and energy sapping while Power (including spiritual will) is self-sustaining. 

The power of Love

• I make love my intention. Love vibrates very high and is extremely powerful.  Everything is an opportunity for love and kindness.
• I don't need to try to force love out of myself. Love is not something I need to do. I am love. I open to the love inside me and let it flow through me.  
• Learn and evolve and be loving and kind. Every situation is an opportunity to love and learn.  

The power of prayer and meditation

• Meditation reduced crime in New York by 30 percent.
• Pray for strength and clearness / rightness of mind, not for events to change.  
• The intention (energy) behind the prayer is most important - where  on the ladder of consciousness is it coming from?  The higher the level, the greater the power.  Prayers of love and gratitude are thus very powerful.

The power of self-care

• Consider the metaphor of the oxygen mask. I need to help myself before I can help others.  

The power of humility that comes with a realisation of the truth of Oneness

• All spiritual progress and the raising of one's level of consciousness is grace from consciousness.  The ego cannot take credit.  
• Feel grateful, not superior or special.  My energy field is not personal. There is  in truth nothing I control.  
• It's not me doing anything.  There is in truth no "me". All is done by the grace and power of God.
• Pride always comes with fear of falling.  Humility is fearless.
• Humility is not thinking less of myself. It is thinking of myself less.

Realise decisions are emotional, not rational

• All my decisions are made by emotion, not the rational mind. The rational mind just justifies afterwards.  
• Even if I know rationally it's wrong, it's the emotion (tapped into consciousness I'm at) that makes the decision. 
• I grow increasingly aware of the emotion at the heart of my decisions. 

Using the map of consciousness for decision making

• Use the map for decision making. What level am I making the decision from (E.g. love verse fear?) 
• Remember my financial decision to do the paperwork myself to get my RA funds from South Africa or outsource it to experts. We looked at it going up the ladder and everything pointed to doing it myself. Then we got to the level of Love and I realised it would be far more loving to myself to outsource it. It turned out to be absolutely the right decision. The paper work revealed itself to be very complex and would have been an awful and long-lasting source of stress!  This was a real eureka moment for me of the power of using the map of consciousness as a decision making tool.

Priceless moments (2013)

Wisdom Trove

• The joy of Wisdom Trove

Dani related

• Paddle ski
• Anniversary nookie
• Photography day at Hawkesbury by river
• Successful nookie

Spiritual

• Some times of deep peace (May especially)
• Deep spiritual experiences - priceless
• By river in camp site (Southern Highlands)

Swims

• Swimming at Port Shepstone
• Swim at Jervis Bay
• Swims with Helen & bombing kids
• Jump into Hawkesbury from rock on hike.

More

• Hawkesbury pub with Chris & co.
• Dinners with Andreas at Bavarian Beer Cafe
• Camera club presentation & feedback & afterglow.
• Drinking the rotten coconut with Helen
• Mindful walks (coffee and later)

Movies

Meet up walk at Botany Bay

A relaxing 10 km walk on a beautiful, still day.

 

Sphinx Walking Track, Cowan Creek, Bobbin Head, Apple Tree Bay and Mt Kuring-gai

On Sunday, I did another great 16 km hike with Meet Up.  It was wonderful to meet lovely Liz who would later become a leading member of our hiking gang.

Antarctica Exhibition

I went to this great exhibit with Sue and Pamela by ferry in Darling Harbour.  The i-phone photos don't do it justice but provide a nice memory.

Compass (1990 - )

Introduction

• This is something that has been developing since I was 20 years old.  It accelerated in 2013, inspired by the wisdom I was collecting for Wisdom Trove.

What is it?

• An evolving system (set of principles, practices, exercises, skills, processes, tools and guiding wisdom) that can be applied to any project - including the greatest project of all: living a meaningful and inspired life.

Purpose

• Allow me to apply and experiment with wisdom from Wisdom Trove to transform my life and passion projects.
• Practices, exercises, principles, processes and wisdom to move me towards my life’s purpose and vision and help me with my passion projects.
• Support me in connecting to Consciousness and growing in love.
• Provide a conscious process of growing, learning, transcending and evolving.
• Help me to tap into universal intelligence, inspiration and revelation (beyond the mind).
• Increase my sense of well being and lessen psychological pain.
• Increase my sense of meaning, fulfillment and gratitude.
• Allow me to embrace life more and experience moments of aliveness.
• Help me to develop and share my gifts with others.
• Give me a sense of my life being “in order.” 
• To allow my mind to go on retreat and rest in Being (mind like water).
• Get perspective during tough times - life is an ebb and a flow (especially through well-being charting and reflection)
• Appreciating and learning from the past, planning for and anticipating the future, and most of all, embracing the present.

Components

• Purpose: A clear sense of my life purpose and the purpose of each passion project.
• Vision: A clear picture of my desired outcome for my life and each passion project.
• Guiding principles: Principles and values that guide my life and each passion project.
• Strategy: Initiatives for each major area of my life. Strategic plans for my passion projects.
• Success measures: How I measure success based on my purpose and vision.
• Planning and reviewing: Bucket list, weekly and annual planning and reviewing.
• Processes: Identifying life and project processes and making them as fun and effortless as possible.
• Task management: A way to manage my daily tasks based on David Allen’s Getting Things Done.
• Passion projects: Projects that tap into my life purpose and vision.
• Guiding wisdom: A collection of wisdom I find especially relevant to my life.
• Guiding quotes: A collection of quotes I particularly resonate with.
• Guiding questions: Useful questions to ask myself regularly.
• Progress tracking: Tracking and celebrating progress in my life and my passion projects.
• Well-being charts: Charts of my well-being and spiritual connection.
• Digital journal: A gratitude journal to curate all I love (especially memories) and to share parts of my life with loved ones.
• Practices: Regular practices and skills including serving others, prayer, mindfulness, meditation, creative thinking, reflecting, decision making, problem solving, exercise.
• Inspiration: A trove of inspiration, immersing myself in works of genius, documentaries, museums, reading etc.
• Lists: A collection of regularly updated lists including things I’m grateful for, things I’m proud of, moments of joy I’ve experienced, spiritual experiences, insights, my life challenges and what I’ve learned from them.
• Risks and worries: A log of my worries with actions I can take and contingency plans where relevant.
• Tools: The tools I use to manage Compass include Evernote, Mindmanager, Excel and Blogger.

Guding principles

• Spiritual connection
• Managing my life consciously and strategically but with heart and soul
• Learning, growing, transcending, evolving
• Processes and practices integrated into everyday life
• Helping me to embrace life, not escape into my computer
• Experimenting with new approaches and breaking patterns.
• As much focus on visioning and planning (future thinking) as collecting and reflecting on the past.
• A process, not a destination
• Developing skills through daily practices (a lifestyle)
• Being my own personal coach (patient, constructive, encouraging, affirming, compassionate)
• Coming from a place of inspiration, passion, excitement and fun, not striving or self imposing.
• Intentions and principles, not rigid rules. Guides and inspires my life, rather than rules it.
• A combination of routines and shaking things up
• Applying the wisdom of Wisdom Trove into my own life - then feeding real life wisdom back into it
• Celebrating progress.
• Seeing mistakes, back-sliding, failures, plateaus as inevitable and a chance to learn
• Capturing that translates into insight and action.
• Doing it to embrace life more, not to “improve” or because I’m incomplete
• Vision, purpose
• Strategy, planning
• Process
• Review, reflect, learn
• One step at a time with vision in mind
• Power of small steps
• Power of habit, ritual, routine, process
• Integrated into daily life
• Practice, action, implementation
• Effectiveness, efficiency
• Fun
• Meaningful productivity
• Success defined, measured
• Evolving, learning
• Focused
• Practical
• Experimentation (life is my lab and I am the experimental subject)
•  Relaxed
• Fluid
• Simple
• Real impact

Scope     

• Past - tracking, learning from, re-framing, celebrating, savouring, sharing
• Now - applying and living (principles, skills, being, savouring, doing, learning)    
• Future - visioning, planning, preparing, anticipating

Success measures

• Practice, practice, practice: not getting lost in systems and theory
• Real life impact - tangible, visible, experienceable transformations in my life
• Depth of connection with loved ones
• Certain key practices becoming daily “can’t do withouts”
• Well being (inner peace, inner joy, sense of meaning and purpose)
• Spiritual connectiveness (degree of surrender, trust, gratitude, prayer, Being)
• Usefulness and degree of enjoyment from my passion projects
• Moments of aliveness (joy, connection, release, love, triumph, peace, wonder)
• Skill development
• Confidence
• Increased resilience (bouncing back)
• Feedback from others 
• Income
• visible real life change

What success is not

• Hours spent at the computer
• Amount of data
• The system itself if there is no real life impact

Guiding quotes

• A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.  Kahlil Gibran  
• Knowledge for its own sake was meaningless, its mere accumulation a waste of time. Knowledge must lead to understanding.  M I Finley    
• What’s measured improves.  Peter F. Drucker    
• You can't control what you can't measure.  Tom DeMarco    
• A list of 5 key things, read daily and practiced, is infinitely more valuable than an encycolpaedia of knowledge.  
• Socrates:   The unexamined life is not worth living.
• Alphonso Lingis:   The unlived life is not worth examining. 
• Life is only worth examining because this can help us to live more fully.  Time Freke

Ferry ride to Maritime museum

Sue, Pamela and I got the ferry to the photo exhibition on Antarctica and also an exhibit of Ansel Adam's work at Darling Harbour. 

Photography

The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.  Dorothea Lange

I started photography in 2004 as a way to document my life on this blog and it has since grown into an absolute passion.  Photography gets me out of my head and into my senses.  It inspires me to really notice the world around me and to see, celebrate and share beauty and wonder.

Why photography

• Why photography makes me happy

My photography site

• Wonder Trove

Photography by year

• 1996
• 1997
• 2003
• 2004
• 2005
• 2006
• 2007
• 2008
• 2009
• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017
• 2018
• 2019
• 2020
• 2021
• 2022
• 2023
• 2024
• 2025

Types of photography

• Photography
• Aerial photography
• Before and after
• Best images
• Camera club outing
• Photography Meetup
• Events
• People photography
• Photography jobs
• Portraits
• Sea pools
• Sports photography
• Photography Exhibits
• Photos with funny captions

Technology

• Technology
• Cameras I've owned

Chris, in action ...

This is Chris who is part of Jilly's Eckhart group of Tuesdays.  He's a lovely guy with a wonderful sense of humour.  Here he is at Toastmasters doing a comedy speech.

Sydney skyline on my daily walks

 All i-Phone snaps